一字之师
yī zì zhī shī
someone who improves your writing by correcting a single word
Character by character
一yī
one
one
字zì
character
character
之zhī
’s
’s
师shī
teacher
teacher
Example
编辑把我标题里的一个字改了，效果好多了，他真是我的一字之师。
The editor changed one word in my headline and it is much better now: he really is my one-word teacher.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the story of 郑谷 changing “数枝开” to “一枝开” in 齐己’s 《早梅》. Used gratefully of anyone who fixes the one word that was wrong.
Learn this in Lesson 220 · HSK 9+: 对联、灯谜与飞花令 (Couplets, riddles and poem games)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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